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With Isaac, every day is like a roulette. Some days, when Mason comes to pick him up, he'll throw his bag into the back of the car, slide into the passenger seat, and immediately start ranting about whatever annoyed him that day and of course, Mason's always there to listen. Other days, he's dead silent, and Mason drives them to a remote location where no one can see Isaac cry into Mason's shoulder and hold onto him like he's going to lose him. The remote location ends up being the driveway of their house, usually, but if that's not an option, and he insists on not 'ruining' his reputation, then Mason'll drive him to the beach, where people are too busy running down to the shoreside to pay attention to the boy sobbing into his brother's shoulder.
Other times, however, Mason ends up waiting for him for about 30 minutes - his brother's gotten better at time management, after all, longest time he's had to wait is 2 hours - and Isaac, as if his brother hasn't been glancing around the area anxiously for the past half an hour, strolls down with a friend. They're both bloodied with several bruises and - shit, is Isaac limping?!
Mason pulls out the first aid kit he keeps in the passenger seat compartment. It's always filled to the brim with gauze, ibuprofen, disposable towels, bandaids, and more for cases like these. Despite the fact that Isaac is getting better about violence now that he's sat down with Mason, he still comes back from school with a wide grin and bruises all over him sometimes. Mason rubs his temples for a moment, waits until the duo are closer that he ushers them back into the backseat to make cleanup a lot easier.
"That's Sam." Isaac says nonchalantly, "we fight sometimes."
Mason doesn't need to ask if he fights with him or against him, because with Isaac, he already knows it's both.
"I didn't know you have a brother." Sam says as Mason works on dabbing a cloth soaked with ibuprofen against his injury.
"Yeah, well, I usually don't tell my fighting pals that I have a brother. Especially those who miss a punch that was clearly going straight for them." Always eager to point out others' mistakes, Isaac snickers, to which Sam responds to with a solid punch on his shoulder.
"Hey!" Mason barks, and the two blink and turn towards him. While he's short, he does commend attention, and it's hard not to look at someone who's 4 years older than you and yelling, "no fighting! Not when I'm around. Isaac, don't make fun of Sam - Sam, don't punch Isaac when he's injured."
"Mase, it's like, a bit we do. We make fun of each other all the time." Isaac punches Sam's shoulder back to emphasize the point and he gladly retaliates by punching Isaac back. Ever the peacemaker, Mason has to wedge himself in between the two to get them to stop punching each other.
After a few minutes of silence, with the occasional hiss followed by a scold from Mason, the doctor himself speaks up. "Do you guys share any classes?" It's a bland question, but Sam answers it anyways, interrupting Isaac's soon-to-be-made snarky remark.
"We have English together."
"I've never heard of you." He's lying, he has. Isaac has complained too many times in the car about the dude his teacher keeps pairing him with because they 'balance' each other out, and how much of a stick up his ass he has.
"Bullshit, Mase." If there's another thing Isaac loved besides pointing out other people's mistakes, it was calling people out on their lies, "I've complained about him all the time, remember when - , "
He doesn't get to finish his sentence because Sam delivers a quick kick to Isaac's shin.
It's 5 when Mason finishes patching the two up. Isaac knows by the dimming of the light outside and the fact that it says 5:22pm on the car's screen. Isaac also knows it takes them 10 minutes to get to their house, possibly 20-30 if they drop off Sam at his house and attempt to take the freeway. Isaac also also knows that there are several fast food restaurants on the way there, and goddammit even if he knows Mason is going to reject his demand, he's still going to try.
Actually.
If there's anything Isaac really, really knew, it's that Mason, for some odd, bizarre reason, is polite. He's an excellent host, treats his guests with respect, and knows for a fact if Sam said he wanted McDonalds, they'd get McDonalds.
"Hey," Isaac nudges Sam's shoulder while Mason is distracted with the radio, and Sam turns to look at him. "Convince Mase to get McDonalds on the way home and I'll give you 15 dollars."
Sam simply nods to his request and Isaac grins.
"Mase. Hey - Mase, Mase, MaaAaaaAAaaAaase. Mase." It's not that Mason doesn't hear Isaac, it's that he doesn't want to. Subtly, he cranks the radio's volume up louder, because he knows what Isaac's going to ask him. "Mase, c'mon."
"We're not getting McDonalds." Mason answers sharply, and turns down the volume so the two can hear him. "We have food at home." A classic Mason response! What he doesn't expect is that Isaac has an advantage on his side.
"But Sam wants some. Right, Sam?" He nudges him - that's your cue, buddy!
"Yes. I want McDonalds." Isaac almost groans and makes a mental note to tell him to not pursue acting later. Mason seems to consider it, and Isaac watches with bated breath as they turn and - yes! Success! Mason pulls into the driveway, and Isaac's all too prepared to spout out his order, giddy as a child, but before he can, Mason speaks.
"Yeah, can I get one black coffee? Thanks."
The rest of the way home is filled with Isaac's angry shouts of betrayal.